|
NEW YORK - THE New York City Ballet, flexing its legal muscles, sued a British production company on Friday, saying it owed the famed dance troupe some US$600,000 (S$817,000) in royalties for exercise DVDs.
The ballet company, in its suit filed in the United States District Court in Manhattan, said London-based Palm Pictures has failed to make royalty payments since June 2005 for the two videos.
Calls and e-mail to Palm Pictures' New York offices seeking comment were not returned.
The ballet company, which calls Lincoln Center its home, agreed with Palm in 2000 and again in 2003 to produce the New York City Ballet Workout DVDs and video tapes featuring exercises that are part of its dancers' routines, according to the court filing.
Under the terms of the agreement, Palm was supposed to pay royalties equal to 50 per cent of the proceeds, but according to the lawsuit, the British firm has owed the ballet money since June 2005.
Palm, in a Feb 28, 2008, letter to the New York City Ballet, said it 'stands ready, willing and able to account for and pay to the NYCB any monies legitimately owed ...'.
But the production company rejected the ballet's assertion that it has been 'materially misleading and false' in its accounting, the suit said.
The ballet is suing to recoup the royalty payments and terminate its licensing agreements with Palm. -- REUTERS
| 
